The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-12-07

their wrongs.
The difficulty attending a wise
and fair revision Of our tariff law is
not underestimated. 1t will re
quirc on the part of the Congress
great labor and care, and especially
a broad and national contempla
t1On of the subject, and a patriotic
disregard of such local and selfish
claims as are unreasonable and
reckless Of the welfare of the entire
country. Under our present laws
more than 1000 articles are sub
iect to duty. Many Of these do not
In any way compete with our own
manufacturers, and many are
hardly worth attention, as subjects
of revenue. ! considerable reduc-
tlOn can he made i'll the aggregate
by adding them to the free list.
The taxation of luXurieS is no i'm
position of hardship, but the neces-
SarieS Of life, used an! consumed
by all the people, the duty upon
which adds to the cost Of living in
every home, should be greatly
cheapened. The radical reduction
of the duties imposed upon. raw
material used in manufactures, or
its free importation, is, of course,
an important factor in any effort
to reduce the price of these neceS-
saries. 1t would not only relieve
them from the increased cost
caused by the tariff on such ma
terial, but the manufactured pro-
duet being thus cheapened thatpart
of the tariff now laid upon such pro-
duct as compensation to our manu-
facturers for the present price of
raw material could be accordingly
modified. Such reductions or tree
impOrtations would serve, besides,
to largely reduce the revenue. 1t
Is net apparent how soon a change
can have any injurious effect upon
our manufacturers. On the con-
trary, it would appear to give them
a better chance III foreign markets
with the manufacturers Of other
countries, who cheaper theirs by
1l0O hldtCl ldI' linus Oul pcOplS
might have the opportunity Of ex-
tending their sales beyond the linn
its of home consumption, saving
them from the depression, iuter-
ruptiOn in business and loss caused
by a glutted market, and affOrding
their employees more certain and
steady labor, with its resulting
quiet and cOntentment. The ques-
tioR thus imperatively presented
for solution should be approached
in a spirit higher than partisan
ship, and considered in the light Of
that regard for patriotic duty which
should characterize the actions Of
those intrusted with the veal of
cOntiding people.
But the obligation to declared
party policy and principle is not
wanting to urge pIUmpt and eff
fective action. Both of the great
political parties now represented in
the governments have, by repeated
and authoritative declarations con
demned the condition of our laws,
which permit the collection from
the people of unnecessary revenue,
and have in the most solemn man
ner promised its correction; and
neither as citizens or partisanS are
our countrymcn in a mood to con-
done the deliberate violation of
these pledges.
Our progress toward a wise con-
cIusion will not be improved by
dwelling on The theories of protec-
tion aud free trade. This s:lvors
too much of bandying of epithets.
Its condition will confront us not
as theory. The relief from this
condition may improve as light
reduction Of the advantages which
award our home productions by an
entire withdrawal. Some advan-
tages should not be contemplated.
The question of free trade is alb
solutely irrelevant, and the persist
ent claim made in certain quarters
that all efforts to relieve the people
from unjust and unnecessary taxa
tion are schemes OF so called free
traders, is mlscheyiouS, and far
removed from any consideration of
the public good.
The simple and plain duty which
we owe the people is toreduce tax
alton to the necessary expenses Of
an economical operation of the gov
ernment, and to restore to the bus
mess Of the country the money
which we hold in the treasury,
through the exercise of govern
mental powers.
These things can and should be
done, with safety to all our indus
tries, without danger to the Oppor-
tunity for remunerative labor which
our workingmen need, and with
benefit to them and all our people
by cheapening their means of sub
sistence and increasing the meas
ure OF their comforts.
The constitution provides that
the President shall, from time to
time, give to the Congress infOrna-
tion Of the state Of the Union. 1t
has been the custom of the eXecu-
tive, in compliance with this pro
vision, to annually exhibit to the
Congress, at the opening of its
session, the general condition OF
the country, and to detail with
some particulars the operations O;
the different executive depart
ments. 1t would be especially
agreeable to follow this course at
the present time, and to call atten-
tion to the valuable accomplish,
ments of these departments during
the last fiscal year. But l am so